Keaveney calls for alternative to ‘Londonderry’  on Ordnance Survey Maps

In the recent past Senator Cecilia Keaveney challenged why Ordnance Survey Maps in Ireland has the name Londonderry alone on them, with no Derry option given.

Minister Eamon Ryan, TD has said there is nothing the OSI can do under the current arrangements to alter the requirement to call it Londonderry.

"In the context of the Good Friday Agreement I feel that the least that can happen is that the two names should be on maps. I rejected the Minister's last response to my query on this issue and this has led to his underscoring why he believes there is no capacity to alter the current 'Londonderry' requirement.

The Minister stated that there have been many questions raised over the years in relation to replacing 'Londonderry' with 'Derry' but it continues to be the former because Derry city comes under the North's jurisdiction and therefore it is up to their Ordnance Survey office to produce the maps and it is an issue for their authorities as to what any town is named.

He further explains that the names used are copyrighted to the Ordnance Survey of the North and when the Ordnance Survey in the Republic reproduce maps, they are unable to alter the names provided under the copyright rules.

However, my point is that this was not my question, I have asked can we not have both names on the maps? I will be returning to Minister Ryan again on this and believe there should be a debate with the North's Minister on the issue, in the context of the new political dispensation," concluded Senator Keaveney.